The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-06-25


comes of being cross. I'll never do it
again, never I've just frightened that
dear little thing back into the ground
again, and perhaps she'll smother to
death. Oh desr oh dearlp And she
hung her head SO low with shame that
it came very near breaking off.
Suddenly the stiffness was broken by
merry voices of children coming nearer
and nearer every moment. Now they
were close by the stone wall. The violet
raised her head and looked up just in
time to see three rosy-cheeked little girls
scramble over the wall and stand laugh
ing and breathless very near to her.
What was going to happen now? She
had not long to wait. In moment two
great blue eyes were looking down into
her face, and voice, which sounded to
the violet very loud, was saying: "On,
girls, just see what I've foundl A really,
truly violet, and white one, tool Won't
Beatrice be glsd?'
ooh oh ! how lovely CANT you find
another?"
"No," said the first little girl; there
is only this one, and am going to take
it right up by the roots so it won't wilt"
Aud much to the violet's dismay, before
she had time to think, there was cold
knife run around her roots. and she was
pumped into little basket along with
some puesy-willows, brown moss, and
few ferns and grasses.
"Dear mel said one of the pussies, as
the violet, with some earth clingmg to
her roots, was laid up against it, " what's
the meaning Of this? You've got some
dirt in my eye, and on my nice clean fur,
and I don't like it."
"Serves you right for being so stuck
up" gurgled fern from the bottom OF
the basket, where he was very much
pre- ssed and squeezed by the weight OF
the other green things above him. sit
never pays anybody to be vain, and
think themselves better and prettier than
other people. Something is sure to hap
pen to them"
"Iwasn't speaking to you," whimpered
the ussy-willow. And very likely there
would have been quarrel had not the
violet interfered, and said in the kindest
of tones:
81 am sure I'm very sorry if 1 have
hurt anybody, but it was not my fault.
1 didn't want to come here bit, and L
wish I could get out"
"Humph!" put in the big fern in the
corner. "Out of the frying-pan into the
fire, if I'm not much mistaken. / think
these are the very people that Mr.. Oak
tree was telling me about, who come
every year for ferns and flowers to paste
on cards and sell. He says my ancestors
for several generations back have gone
the same way. l came very near being
| left behind this morning, because they
said was stiff and wouldn't stick well.
All me! wish they hadn't changed their
minds. You may be sure they are going
to do something dreadful"
just then the cover of the basket was
opened, and the little blue-eyed girl said:
"Oh, Beatricel I've got the sweetest lit
tie white violet for you-the very first
one that came up. Just think how lovely
it will look on card" And she took it
tenderly out and laid it on a newspaper
in somebody's lap.
Was this Beatrice? Yes, it must be.
And she was lame, and had to sit all day
in big arm chair; and she made beauti-
full holiday and birthday cards with
pressed flowers and grasses. She had
very sweet face, and gentle touch, aud
| the violet was not afraid.
In the twinkling of an eye, she never
knew just how it happened, she found her
self all alone in tumbler of water on the
window-sill, with the bright sunbeams
dancing all about her. A canary-bird
was singing over her head, but he was
Gagged, and she had nothing to fear from
him.
1t was SO very warm there in the sun
shine, and the canary trilled such a
soothing lullaby, that she felt herself
growing drowsy. Lower and lower
dropped the little head, and in a moment
she was fast asleep.
Itwas long time before she awakened,
and when she did it was to find herself
lying on little blue card with some bits
of ferns and grasses, and their stems tied
up with bunch of white satin ribbon.
saw her myself, and although I wouldn't
have known her, che looked very pretty,
and was really much better off than if
she had lived and died under the sweet
briar bush.-Harper's Young People.
IN A STOREROOM.
| Tn the wing of n LARGE old houaa in the